A Snap in Time

Chapter 30 (Adrien)

'Heart Wreckers' laugh, as he flung Marinette across the ruins of the bakery, sent chills down Adrien's spine. His world turned to slow motion as he watched Marinette strike the bricks with such force that he knew she wouldn't be getting back up, not without serious medical attention, or the Miraculous Ladybug's. Without another moment's hesitation Adrien launched over towards where her body fell, praying to the kwami's that she was okay, that she was still conscious.

He watched as she attempted to sit up, taking a hand to the back of her head and bringing it to her eyes, the clear red of blood upon her finger tips before she fell backwards and collapsed against the floor.

"You!" The sound from the akuma chilled him to the core. The sound of venom, the sound of hatred, the sound of murder. He didn't have much time to think or plan, he needed to act on the instincts of years of battle and make his move ... now!

Leaning forward, Adrien snatched the earrings from Marinette's ears as she lay unconscious against the brokedown building. "I'm sorry." He whispered, placing his lips to her head and taking off in the opposite direction of the akuma. There were mere seconds between Adrien running and the akuma grabbing a hold of him. In his civilian form Adrien didn't stand a chance, he needed to get somewhere to transform and quick.

"Get back here!"

The akuma - Luka - was hot on his non-existent tail. Turning into an alley, he continued to run towards a wall and launched himself at it. "Claws out!" His transformation took hold in mid flight, giving him enough time to grab his baton and extend it to allow him up and onto the safety of the rooftops.

"Where is Lee Fu?" The voice pounded through the sky again, Chat Noir flipping from rooftop to rooftop looking for the only person who could help him. He ran towards a chimney, using it to vault him off the building and back down onto the streets.

"Come on, Alya, where the hell are you?"

Making his way back towards the school, he dropped down into the courtyard and began pacing. She had to be here somewhere, he had seen her minutes ago. He placed his baton onto his lower back and began running around the halls in search of his friend.

"Chat Noir!" An out of breath Alya ran towards him, throwing her arms around his neck and clutching him tightly to her. "She's not dead is she? Marinette? Please tell me she's going to be okay?" The devastation was evident in her voice and he wasn't quite sure what he could do to help her.

Prising her arms off his shoulders, Adrien unzipped his pocket and pulled out two earrings. Two earrings Alya knew well, two earrings she'd had the responsibility of wearing before. She looked into his eyes and all he could do was give her an encouraging nod before leading her back into the boiler room and launching into the speech.

" Alya Cesaire, this is the Miraculous of the Ladybug which grants the power of creation. You'll use it for the greater good."

Alya grabbed the earrings out of Adrien's hand and placed them into her ears, Tikki appearing in a blaze of light.

"Alya?"

"No time to talk," the former fox hero said, "we need to save Marinette. Tikki, spots on."

In a flash of pink and red light, the transformation took hold, leaving Scarabella in Alya's place.

"Are you ready to do this again?" Chat Noir asked, grabbing his baton from his back, and watching intently as Alya grabbed her yo-yo from her hip and began to swing.

"As ready as I can be. This akuma is strong."

A rumble knocked their balance, the ground shaking beneath their feet challenging their balance as they attempted to stay put.

"What do you know?" Alya asked, the two heroes launched onto the roof of the school, the view of a broken Paris right in front of them. How had so much devastation happened in the space of a couple of minutes.

He kept his eyes on the street, watching as Heart Wrecker destroyed the heart of the city. "It's in his bracelet."

"His Miraculous?"

Adrien sighed, "yeah." He reached up and scratched at the back of his neck, "this is not going to be easy. I'm immune to the time resets so for our own hope, I hope you are too. An akuma with the power to turn back time, it's not going to be easy."

"Why didn't he do it after hurting Marinette?"

Adrien looked into the rubbled dusted streets. "Because she broke his heart."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Adrien. Not now anyway, we need to get this job done. Marinette's life depends on it. Give me Trixx." She said, holding out a hand towards him.

"Why?"

"Adrien, I've been with Trixx for over a year now, I know how he works, I know what can be done with the power of illusion. So please, I am asking you nicely one last time before I take the necklace by force. De-transform and give me Trixx, please."

Adrien looked into his friend's eyes. She was right. She did know Trixx, and she was damn good at using the power of illusion. "Fine. Plagg, claws in." Releasing his kwami, he pulled out a piece of camembert and handed it over before reaching behind his neck to take the necklace off.

"Trixx, let's rest."

The glamour left Adrien in Lee Fu's place. His hair wild and eyes purple and red rimmed with a lack of sleep, Alya's face grimacing of what had become of her model friend.

"I know. I look awful. So what's the plan?" He asked Alya, handing the necklace to her, and watching as she unified Tikki and Trixx. Flashbacks came to mind of the last time he saw Trixx unified, and unified with Ladybug too. Well Ladybug as Multimouse, regardless it was still Marinette.

"We give Luka Lee Fu, and use it as a distraction."

"The guy is not going to go down without a fight." Adrien said, calling Plagg into his ring and allowing the black outfit to take over his day to day clothing once more.

"Then we fight harder, well, you will. I know you can take your defensive mode up a notch knowing you're defending your Lady."

"Too right."

"So are you ready?" Scarafox asked.

It was now or never.